Second Chances
by EllieMoon
Summary: Second chances are important. This one isn't conventional, but Quinn will take it. She will do anything to get the girl this time with a little behind the scenes help.
1. She Will Be Loved

**AN- I'm rewriting this story because I got myself stuck. i needed to give it a refresh so to speak. **

* * *

Fireworks blasted into the night sky as people around the world celebrated the biggest party night of the year. It was the night people made silly declarations about changing their lives.

It was only through sheer tenacity and stubbornness that life could actually change. However, there was woman who believed her life was destined to remain the way it was. She would be alone, and it was through no fault but her own. For she wasted opportunity after opportunity until it was too late. There was nothing she could do anymore.

Green eyes darted to the carelessly strewn magazine on her terrace. She had not meant to become as agitated as she had, but the image on the front cover angered her more than she expected. She was not sure if it was the invitation or the flaunting of the relationship that distressed her more. Both made the situation a reality. Before she was perfectly fine with her denial. She wished to remain blissfully ignorant.

Her palms pressed into her eyes tiredly as she prevented another trek of tears. The magazine cover only reminded her of all of the mistakes she committed in her life. It was quite a long list for someone as young as her.

With a deep sigh, she turned to look out onto the calm waves of the ocean. The water pushed calmly back and forth, and it soothed her spirit for the time being. With her attention focused on the pull and push motion, she could forget about what upset her in the first place. She had no intention of rehashing those feelings.

It saddened her to think that everyone's lives were changing all the time, but somehow her own remained stagnant. She tried. Truly she did. She dated, but never seemed to click with her dates. Her girlfriends informed her constantly she was emotionally distant. Her relationships were strained when she refused to open up. The problem was that it was the only way she knew how to be, yet there was one woman who had managed to penetrate them effortlessly. She hadn't tried either. She extended friendship. That was all she wanted.

Everyone wanted something from her. But not the woman she loved. She was different than everyone else. She had no expectations, and was never too disappointed when she reverted to her former self. She just understood without question.

The quiet pad of footsteps sounded behind her. She didn't need to turn around to know who it was. It was her best friend, second in command, frenemy. The one person who knew what it was like to hate yourself, but was too scared to change because of what others would think. Santana Lopez understood Quinn Fabray in a way many people did not.

"What are you doing out here alone Q?" There was concern in her voice.

Quinn flinched at the tone. "I guess thinking. I have all of this, but at the end of the day I'm still alone." She snapped, and then softened her tone. "Sorry, I don't mean to take out my personal hardships and failures out on you. You did nothing to deserve my scorn at least recently. I'm frustrated is all."

Santana's eyes trailed to the magazine and it dawned on her what Quinn's problem was. "It's about her." There was no need to clarify the her she was referencing. It was an unspoken agreement not to mention her name. "I told you what to do to fix your situation. If you aren't satisfied with you lot in life then do something. If not then don't stand in the way of her happiness. Lord knows she deserves some after all that shit we put her through in high school." She still felt guilt and shame when it came to her past actions. There were many people who didn't deserve the way she had treated them.

Dark tears trailed down Quinn's cheeks leaving mascara tracks. "I want to be happy and I want her to be happy. I had inklings at Nationals our junior year that it wasn't her I was jealous of. It was him. He had her. He could kiss her and hold her hand. They could make future plans together. They could be happy and have children. What could I offer her? My mom and I had a tentative relationship, my father was an adulterous, religious, hypocritical bigot, and my sister rarely spoke to me. Then senior year happened and it all went to hell." She still had no idea how she almost allowed the woman she loved to almost marry Finn.

While Finn was a good guy, he wasn't right for her. He didn't care about anyone's dreams but his own. He would've dragged her down with him. "I wish I could go back to Nationals before I went all crazy. I wish I could confess to her how I truly feel about her. She thought I hated her and wanted Finn back." A hollow chuckle escaped her when she realized how confused she was back then. "Too bad there are no redo's in life. Go back to Britt, I'll only be out here a little longer."

Santana looked at her sympathetically. She wished she could help Quinn conquer her fears and admit to Rachel everything, but that could ruin Rachel's current relationship. It wouldn't be fair to her to do this now. With one last glance, she returned to the party.

Quinn leaned on the railing. _This year my New Year's resolution is to fall in love. It may not be her, but I don't want to be alone any longer._

* * *

Quinn groaned at the sound of rapping on her bedroom door. She picked her head up and muttered incoherently. "Go away Santana."

"Honey," her mother's voice sounded and she shot up out of bed. "It's time for school."

"Mom?" Confusion laced her voice because her mother was at least several years younger. The obvious laugh lines from her supposed fifty-five year old mother's face were gone as if they had never been there, and her hair was as blonde as it had always been. There wasn't a single strand of grey. Her eyes held a hint of sadness, sadness she hadn't seen since her father left.

Judy stared awkwardly at her daughter. "I know we are both still adapting to our situation, but I promise that nothing will cause me to ever kick you out. I want you to feel comfortable, and not worry every day." Quinn nodded dumbly. _What the hell is she talking about?_ "With that said sweetheart, you should probably get ready for school. Don't you have Nationals coming up? I know you are nervous, but you have a lovely voice.

Quinn's jaw dropped in shock as her mother's words finally hit her. "I'm sorry did you say Nationals?"

Judy gave her daughter a strange look. "Yes I know it was a weird week last week for both of us, but you only have three more days before you leave for New York. And when you get back, we have to start planning for college. You'll be a senior in a few months Quinnie."

_This cannot be happening. Wishes don't actually come true. Do they?_

"Breakfast is almost done, so hurry before you're late."

"Okay mom." Quinn did as her mother asked and got ready for school. It felt weird wearing clothes she hadn't worn in years. Her style during college evolved, and especially during her career as a movie star. She wasn't into cutesy dresses and perfect hair anymore. She took risks.

The funeral would've been only a few days before. Finn just broke up with her because he believed that he and Rachel were "tethered" as he phrased it. She wasn't convinced that he was correct in his assumption because Rachel confided in her that while she loved Finn, they weren't destined for one another. They were too different, and it never would've worked out between them.

Quinn exited her bedroom fifteen minutes later to the smell of bacon frying. In the future, she didn't cook all that much. The only time she had homemade meals was when she visited her mother or vice versa. "Smells good," she complimented as she entered the kitchen.

Judy beamed at her from the stove. "I can't let my Quinnie go to school without a decent breakfast." Quinn flushed hotly. Her mother toned down on the pet names over the years in case the paparazzi got wind. Also because she begged her to stop, she was a grown woman.

"Thanks mom," she wrapped her arms around her surprised mother. During this period the first time around, things were awkward between them for a while. Only a year had passed since she gave her baby to Shelby. Then she spent the majority of the summer ignoring everyone and losing her baby weight. Her mother and her didn't spend too much time bonding, although Judy desperately wanted to. Quinn was still afraid something would cause her mother to kick her out again. A year later, they were still in the awkward stage of rebuilding their relationship. "I know I don't say it ever, but I appreciate and love you."

She released her mother and sat at the breakfast table. Judy's eyes glistened with tears, but Quinn knew they weren't sad but happy tears. "Eat up so you can go to school."

Quinn finished up her meal and kissed her mother on the cheek. She gulped at the sight of her red bug. Years had passed since her accident, but that didn't erase the memory of the truck hitting her or the months of physical therapy spent wondering if she would ever feel anything in her legs, let alone walk again. She sighed because she knew there was no other way for her to get to school. It would take thirty minutes if she walked, and she didn't have that kind of time.

* * *

Quinn found herself staring at her former classmates. _God, everyone is so young. _They hadn't reached the point of their ten year reunion in the future, but she visited her mother often enough to spot a few familiar faces. Many of her classmates never left Lima. Surprisingly, the entire Glee club did, which was quite ironic since everyone in the school called them losers.

A shiver ran through her body as she entered the school. _I never thought I would ever have to walk these halls again_. People were corralled around their lockers, gossiping as usual. It was one of the last weeks of school before everyone had three months to decompose before coming back for yet another year of hell.

Quinn walked to her locker and pulled out the schedule in her backpack. She could barely remember her classes let alone her locker combo. She watched from the corner of her as Rachel walked down the hallway with a bright smile on her face. Finn was nowhere around. _Shitty ex-boyfriend_. If Rachel was her girlfriend, she would protect her a hell of lot better than Finn did. The sad part was that he truly was a nice guy, but the only time he wanted a girl was when he couldn't have her.

Like at this exact moment in time, the only reason he decided he wanted the small girl back was because she brought Jesse to the prom. Finn nor Quinn for that matter could hide their jealousy. At least she disguised hers a bit better, although there was still some guilt from slapping Rachel.

Rachel's eyes connected with Quinn's from across the hall, and Quinn couldn't help the little smile that formed on her lips. Rachel tried to hide her shock, but Quinn knew her better than she let on the first time around. She was an amazing actress, but if someone really wanted to know what went on in that pretty little head of hers, all they had to do was look in her eyes. She watched as Rachel glanced back a few more times before she turned around the corner.

_How curious, maybe Santana was onto something. _Quinn knew if there was something she was going to change, it was her relationship with Rachel.

* * *

**AN- I decided a better entry point would be right before Nationals but after prom and the funeral. Thoughts?**


	2. Miracles Happen

**_AN- if you haven't guessed by now, I'm editing and changing chapters._**

* * *

_God, I don't remember any of this stuff. _

Quinn struggled to complete her homework. Years had passed since she had thought about polynomials, trinomials, and whatever else that entailed. Pre-calculus was kicking her ass. She still had roughly two weeks until exams. She was always a smart student, and much of her time at home was used to study. She achieved high scores for herself, and knew that if she kept it up, she would receive admission to Yale and become valedictorian.

She spent extra time going over her notes and the chapter in her textbook before she attempted her homework. She then checked the back of the book to make sure she was getting the correct answers. Math was the one subject she spent extra time pouring over as it did not come as easily to her.

_I'm glad that is over._ She snapped her textbook shut. The rest of her homework she completed in study hall. _I need to come up with a game plan. It's not like people get sent back to the past everyday. I have to be careful about what I change. _She grabbed an empty notebook off her desk before she jotted down the major events that would occur. Her actions would certainly leave ripples in the timeline, and her actions that day had already probably changed the future in some small, unpredictable way.

_Nationals! _Years had passed since she last thought of that day full of emotional turmoil. It was that day she realized that her feelings had nothing to do with Finn and everything to do with a pint sized diva. When their lips touched onstage, it was as if every single piece of her came apart. It was the reason she went off the deep end. She knew she could never compare or compete with Finn.

_I have to stop him from kissing her at Nationals. That means that I will have to keep her distracted so that she doesn't go out on a date with him. Maybe I could take her out on a date. She's not technically dating anyone. _

_I guess I could volunteer one of the many songs I wrote about her for a duet performance at Nationals. It would certainly earn me some brownie points. I owe it to her anyways after what occurred at Prom and for the whole Regionals debacle. I was overly harsh with her, but at the point in time I still didn't understand. How could I be so stupid?_

_Then I have to deal with the whole Puck issue. He thinks that he's my true love. I feel poorly for how I used him to deny my own feelings, but at the same time he used me too. He tricked me into giving up my virginity by getting me drunk on wine coolers. I was emotionally vulnerable and he took advantage of that. I want to forgive him, but I'm not sure I ever can. I had to give away a child. Beth will never be mine. Not the way I want her to._

_Well if I can convince Rachel to give me the chance to woo her, my summer will be completely different than it was the last time around. I won't be hanging out with that much older skater. I can also avoid smoking and hanging out with the Skanks. And thank goodness my hair will never be pink. That was a horrible idea on my part. I have no idea what I was thinking when I did that. _

Quinn chewed on the end of her pen as she thought of all the events that lead up to this moment she was in now. There were so many things that took place during their junior year, and not all of them good. She had to remember what happened so that she was not caught off guard in conversation.

Her eyes brightened as she remembered what happened after she quit the Cheerios. Of course it centered around one of her mutual exes with Rachel. _Finn became a giant asshole. He wanted to open a kissing booth to give to charity. That charity being the Glee club. He just wanted to kiss a bunch of girls to prove that he was popular and desirable. He also wanted to tempt me into kissing him, which I did. And then Santana had to be a bitch and reveal the fact that I cheated on Sam by giving us mono. I'm starting to wonder what I ever saw in him, and how I stayed friends with her all these years. _

_Oh yeah and then there was that whole Puck/Lauren/Santana situation. That comment Rachel made about the stripper pole was a bit below the belt, but at the same time Santana did deserve it for all the shit she's done to Rachel. I'm surprised how Rachel continues to want to be my friend, considering all of the shit I've done to her as well. I really don't deserve her, but I want to. I need to be better. If there's anything the future has taught me, it is that these people are actually my friends. They care about me._

_Kurt had transferred back already. And he was currently with Blaine. The two of them made a nice couple. They were going to go through some hardships after Kurt's senior year, but she wasn't too worried about that. It reminded her that Santana needed to own up to her own feelings as well. She needed to be honest with herself for the first time in her life because hiding that she was in fact a lesbian did nothing but cause her pain and suffering. She almost lost Britt because of her stupidity and arrogance. She had to stop thinking that Britt would always be there. _

The next thirty minutes were spent in her room devising a plan of action. Quinn was well aware that she couldn't just start changing things to suit her needs. Everything had to be gradual. _I will take my opportunities where I can get them. _

_Then there's the whole Finn never wants Rachel until he can't have her. Jesse St. Asshole is still fishing around. Rachel really knows how to pick them. _She chuckled quietly. Her and Rachel did share a few love interests Finn, Puck, and Sam. _It is kind of gross how most of us dated the same people. _

"Quinnie," her mother called up the stairs for her. Quinn groaned knowing it was dinnertime. Her mother was into this whole bonding thing since she moved back in. It wasn't that she minded all that much, but she knew she was going to have to come out to her mom eventually. In the future, she had taken it quite well. She needed a moment, but overall she accepted her daughter. Quinn was hoping it would be the same this time as well. "Dinner time sweetheart."

_Won't know until you try. _She reminded herself. "Okay mom, I'll be down in a few minutes." _That reminds me, I have to figure out what to do about the whole Shelby thing. I'm in a much better place about the whole Beth situation, but Shelby has really hurt Rachel in the past. I don't know if I can watch her go through all of the pain yet again. It was the one regret she did have in regards to giving her daughter a home. _She made a reminder to herself to touch on that later.

She bounded down the stairs into the dining where her mom sat at the table. No one sat at the head of the table since her mother kicked her father out. Quinn took her seat across from her mother and picked up her fork. "How was your day?"

Quinn shrugged. "It was okay."

Judy nodded her head. "What about that little club of yours?"

"Mom, it's a glee club. And they're my family. But Mr. Schue wants us to write the songs for Nationals, yet everyone is kind of dragging their feet in the ground. I don't know how well that is going to go, but we'll see."

"I didn't mean anything by it." Quinn felt bad because she knew her mother was just trying. Things were still a little stiff between them at this time. "I want to know about your life. That only works if you let me in. I can't apologize enough, but apologizing isn't going to fix this."

Quinn's face softened. "I'm sorry mom. You're right. I shouldn't immediately get defensive. I'm not used to this whole getting to know each other thing. Fabrays are cold and distant by nature. But I promise I will work on it. I want us to have a relationship."

Judy reached across the table to squeeze Quinn's hand. "I will too. I want you to know you can come to me for anything."

Quinn sighed because she was never going to get an opportunity like this. "Mom, I have something I need to tell you." Judy's face was expectant. "I'm gay. I like girls." There she said it, it was out there, and she couldn't take it back. It was better late than never. She wanted her mother to know the truth about why her relationships hadn't worked out in the past.

Judy for her part managed to stay calm and keep her eyes from bugging out. Then she did something that surprised Quinn. She laughed. _That definitely wasn't her reaction when I told her in the, I guess future? _"I have to say I'm not all that surprised."

Eyebrows rose up in shock. "Y-you're not? May I ask why?"

"Your first day of high school you came home ranting and raving about some girl named Rachel Berry and how she drove you crazy. You wouldn't shut up about her for months." Quinn flushed hotly. "It was always Rachel this and Rachel that. I remember you talked about how indecent she dressed at school. Of course I pretended to remain blissfully ignorant instead of addressing the issue. You know how your father was." She remembered only too well how her father bashed the gays without actually knowing a single one.

Quinn blinked owlishly at her mother. She didn't have a response. Her mind was processing the fact that her mother kind of knew she was gay. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Honey, it's not for me to tell you what you are. Your father did enough of that for us, and I thought it better for you to discover who you are yourself. Besides, I don't think you would've taken it well had I told you this before."

She thought about it and her mother was right. "No you're right. We didn't have that kind of relationship. I would've panicked and done something stupid."

"Have you accepted it?"

Quinn nodded. "Yeah, and I'm fine with it. I know that the Bible condemns homosexuality as it goes against the tradition of a woman and a man, but it seems a bit hypocritical. There's nothing wrong with loving someone. As a Christian we are taught to love pretty much everyone. And it is not up to us to judge in the long run anyways."

Judy beamed at her daughter with pride in her eyes. "I'm glad that you never took any of your father's words to heart. He has strong views on the subject, but that is his problem not ours. My parents taught me to be open minded. Your father is a bigot, and for a while I listened to everything he said. What finally made me realize that he was wrong was when he kicked you out of this house." Her eyes dimmed with sadness, and Quinn reached across the table to squeeze her hand in a display of solidarity.

"He's a jerk. The Bible also condemns fornicators but look at him and his tattooed freak." Judy snorted into her napkin.

"Yes there is that." The rest of the dinner conversation was much lighter. Quinn felt freer. It was still a nerve-wracking experience, but she was glad to have done it. After dinner she told her mom to go relax and she would clean up. It was the least she could do for having such an amazing mother. _I wish I had known back then we could have talks like this. Both of us were terrified of doing anything that would scare off the other._

* * *

Quinn locked herself in her room after dinner. Her mom was certainly a game changer this time around. While in the future her mother was quite accepting of her sexuality, she never imagined her mother would be as cool with it at this point in time. She supposed it had something to do with almost losing her daughter because she allowed her husband to dictate everything in their house. Her mother had to rebuild herself up after the destruction Quinn's father left in his wake. Her parents' marriage had imploded after her mother discovered the truth about his philandering ways, and she was left as a disgrace in their church.

It certainly gave her mother a lot of time to think when she could no longer gossip with the other women at church. Instead of talking about all of the scandals, she was the scandal. Well she wasn't the only one. There was Margaret Williams and Jessica Thatcher, one a deacon's wife and the other the pastor's who had slept with her father. It was quite ironic how the church preached fidelity and right inside of its' congregation adultery was occurring. Her father got around. Her mother had suspected that he was having an affair for quite some time, but she did not dare say anything for at the time she was a mere housewife. How would she support herself without her husband? She could not consider any other options until it was all made public, and she knew she could not live with Russell Fabray anymore. He tarnished her reputation along with his own.

Quinn was pleased when her mother offered for her to move back into their home. It was an improvement over living in a house full of strangers. She loved Mercedes' family, but they weren't her own. They had different traditions, and dinner was a boisterous affair. Her mother was trying and that was better than what she doing five months before when she was drinking her problems away. The alcohol was gone, and her mother was working on her sobriety. She got a job at a law firm in Akron. She had passed the bar and was a practicing lawyer for a few years before her sister came along.

Maybe it was a sign that bigger and better things were to come. If her mother could change her life, then so could she. She would change fate, not her own but Rachel's. Deep down she knew they were meant for each other, and that it was their own denial that had caused them all the problems they had in their friendship.

* * *

**AN- Thoughts? Like the changes?**


	3. You Oughta Know

**AN- Don't hate me. Sorry I've been MIA, but I've been super busy. I know that's what we all say, but school comes first. There's just one more year left. I know the chapter is short, but it is better than nothing. Okay so I went back and edited this chapter because I honestly confused myself with this one. **

* * *

Walking these halls was still a strange occurrence for her even two days later; she had not been back to the school since 2020 when the auditorium was rededicated in Finn's honor.

She could not bear to because it represented everything she had lost in her life including Rachel. Sure they were friends, but that was painful. She was close yet so far, and it hurt when she made her doe eyes at someone that wasn't her. It was stranger to be back in 2011 where she was making those eyes at Finn. Although, she tried to be more discreet about it considering they were broken up. She wanted to put up a strong emotional front to keep Finn back. He was good at ruining her dreams.

Finn had recently broken up with her a few days before, after a funeral no less. She wished that he had at least enough tact to wait until they weren't somewhere so public or in a more appropriate environment. Prom had obviously been a disaster. Those memories were perhaps that most vivid of them all. She could sill feel the throbbing in her hand when she thought about slapping Rachel when she went after her.

People still parted like the red sea when she walked down the halls, but slowly people stopped looking at her like she was a serial killer. Maybe it was that her features were no longer menacing, and that she had sort of softened towards everyone. There were still some she would probably always dislike like Jewfro. He was the worst type of bully. He accused the popular kids of performing some odious actions as if his own weren't that bad. He trashed people on the Internet by writing mostly lies, but pretending it was more on the truthful side.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the girl she was in love with; unfortunately she wasn't alone. Finn had his arms wrapped around her shoulders. She turned her head away because the sight made her sick to her stomach. She didn't want to begrudge Rachel her happiness, but where was her own. Why was she destined to be in love with a girl who barely paid any sort of attention to her?

Tears burned her eyes and she did her best to keep them at bay until she reached the locker room. Immediately upon entering, she checked to make sure no one else was inside and locked the doors. Her back slid down the door, and she released her pent up frustration.

_Was there a purpose to this? Was she being punished? It was probably some big old joke. Let's put Quinn back during some of the worst moments of her life and let her watch the girl she loves barely resist her first love. _She knew that Rachel was unable to resist the temptation that was Finn, which was why they were unable to crack the top ten at Nationals. It was a bit malicious and callous to think; yet what was she supposed to think? It happened to be mostly Finn's fault because he realized that Rachel was okay without him. She had built herself back up to where she was before Finn happened; Rachel had come to the conclusion that everyone else had that she didn't need him. He only held her back.

Her head fell back against the door. It was harder than she anticipated, but maybe it would knock some sense into her. Seeing them together once seemed to be all she could tolerate, especially when she knew how everything would turn out in the end. Finn and Rachel grew apart after graduation and then he died. Rachel moved on and realized that while she loved Finn, that didn't necessarily make him her soul mate. He was definitely unfinished business because she was constantly left wondering 'what if'?

A soft knock on the door caused her to jump. None of the cheerios would be stupid enough to interrupt her. While she was no longer the captain, they were still terrified of what she might do to them. "What?" She growled, her jaw clenched angrily.

"Quinn," a voice murmured softly. She straightened herself up. "I wanted to ask if you were okay. In the hallway, you seemed upset, and you've been quieter than usual in Glee. I hope everything is okay."

It always intrigued her why Rachel was the only one who constantly chased her when she ran off upset. Or how she was the only person able to talk Rachel out of doing stupid things like doing a topless scene. Both of them were there for each other, and somehow managed to form one of the strangest friendships. In theory in shouldn't have worked, yet it did.

She cleared her throat. "I'm fine Rachel." It didn't sound as strong as she would have preferred.

A scoff sounded on the other side of the door. "Quinn, I know you better than either of us is probably willing to admit. I know we aren't friends in the traditional sense of the word given your hatred of me-"

"I don't hate you." She finally admitted. "In the beginning, it may have seemed that way. But honestly I was just misguided." _You can say that again._ "My treatment of you has nothing to do with you." _Liar._

"Be that as it may, I still want to make sure you're okay. Can you open the door?" There was some hesitance on Rachel's part, but Quinn knew she could've been more persistent.

She rubbed her eyes and face, and then pushed herself off the floor. She straightened out her dress and her blonde ponytail before unlocking the door. Mere seconds after the lock clicked, Rachel entered. "I don't get it Rachel. Why do you care? I certainly have done nothing to earn this sort of treatment from you, in fact the opposite. I did just slap you."

Rachel smiled ruefully. "Maybe so. But I would never presume to understand your motivations. There's more to you than you give yourself credit for. You aren't as one-dimensional as you portray yourself to be, and I care about you as a teammate." Quinn's face fell in disappoint because of course. "And friend." Rachel added. "Besides I told you at prom that I appreciated the drama of it all."

"I like someone." She blurted. Quinn flushed hotly at Rachel's inquiring gaze.

Rachel truly tried her best not to ask, but the blonde knew the brunette well. She couldn't help herself. She was a naturally curious person. "Who is it? I'm sure it wouldn't be hard for you to capture their attention. You are Quinn Fabray after all, and any guy would be lucky to have you." _Except Finn._

That was the problem though. Any guy, but she didn't want a guy. She wanted a girl whose affections were focused on one person. "It's not—" she took a deep breath. She needed to be honest with someone, and Rachel was the last person to judge someone for their own sexuality. She had two gay dads. "I like girls."

The shorter girl's mouth fell open in shock. Quinn had to admit she looked awfully adorable with that dumbfounded expression. It was surprising considering how Quinn used Rachel's gay dads as a way to attack her on a daily basis for two years. The blonde was prepared for a witty response from Rachel about how insecure she was, but she wasn't prepared for the smaller girl's silence.

Brown eyes were wide and surprised. "I-uh- well," she cleared her throat and shifted uncomfortably. Quinn knew not to take it personally. It had nothing to do with Quinn, but with Rachel herself. "Yes, that's- quite unexpected. I wasn't ready for that." Quinn almost wanted to laugh at the brunette. "So how long?"

The former cheerleader knew exactly what she meant. "Always." Her head dropped, and she squeezed her eyes shut. She heard Rachel move, and thought she was leaving. However, the steps stopped directly in front of her and fingers came up to lift her chin. Hazel eyes widened at the close proximity between the two of them. She had never noticed the little freckles on Rachel's nose before. She figured it must've come from Shelby.

"Quinn," Rachel breathed. It was intoxicating being so close to her. Quinn could smell the lavender perfume Rachel was wearing, and she watched as the brunette's eyes fell to her lips.

Before either could make a move, there was a large bang outside the locker room. Rachel had the expression of a deer caught in head lights, and before Quinn could say anything, she was gone.

She cursed herself for not doing anything when she had the chance. She knew Rachel wouldn't say anything to anyone, but now she knew too much. She was definitely going to avoid Quinn; it was what she was good at. When didn't want to face a situation or a person, she managed to completely avoid it.

She rubbed her temples because this was messier than she first thought it would be. The blonde had never dared to dream that Rachel would share her feelings, but maybe that was all that buzzing was. She had associated that feeling with her annoyance and hatred of the smaller girl, but maybe it was their unresolved sexual tension. Santana always joked that they wanted to do the dirty with each other.

Of course then, Quinn was way too prudish and stuck in the closet to confess to desiring such a thing. Rachel would blush and stammer something about having a boyfriend.

By the time, first period began, it was hard to tell that Quinn had spent at least ten minutes crying. She was completely composed and relaxed. _Nothing happened._ It was true if only a little bit.

Santana sent her an inquiring look when she took her seat, but the blonde shook her head. She wasn't prepared to divulge what just happened in the locker room. To be honest she wasn't sure herself about the moment shared between her and Rachel. That had never happened the first time she did this, and she was wondering if it had always been like this. Her memories of high school were more than a little fuzzy.

Her pre-calculus teacher droned on and on. About what, she wouldn't be able to say. She scribbled down some notes, but her mind was elsewhere. She was day dreaming about what would've happened had that bang not occurred. Would they have actually kissed? Would she know how those pink, plump lips felt on her own? It was hard to say.

A clearing of a throat brought her out of her daydream, and she snapped her head up to realize the bell had rung. Santana was smirking down at her and she ignored it as she quickly packed up her belongings.

"What is up with you? You've been acting strange all period, and I am impatient. I can't wait until later." Santana was behaving strangely too. They weren't this close during her junior year. They more like foes. A couple of physical fights had broken out between the two of them. Maybe it started with her selling Santana out to their coach. It didn't earn her any brownie points with Santana or the rest of the Glee club. The other cheerios feared her after, because if someone could do something as ruthless as that to Santana, they were obviously not someone to cross. They were ruthless, and would do anything they had to to get what they wanted.

Quinn checked to make sure that no one was listening. "I'm invoking our secret oath." They had created it their first summer at cheer camp when they became the unholy trinity. Unfortunately, their sophomore year completely changed the dynamic of their friendship. Santana had happily taken her position as captain, and could hardly resist the opportunity to rub it in Quinn's face at every chance she got. Quinn had to sit there gritting her teeth and take it. Friends didn't generally stab each other in the back like that.

Santana raised a questioning eyebrow, but nodded her head. "Is this about Finnocence?"

The blonde made a face at the mention of the taller boy. "God no. I am over him."

The Latina blew out a breath. "Thank fucking God." She mumbled. "Cause I thought your mopey ass was still into him."

"I'm gay." It slipped out.

The dark haired girl blinked rapidly and her face slackened. Quinn was under the impression that Santana knew, but maybe she wanted to pretend she did. She hinted at it enough during their high school years; it was possible though that she was just being herself. That seemed more than plausible.

Santana held up her finger when Quinn attempted to speak again. She needed a minute to compose herself. "First off, never drop news on me like that so casually again. Secondly, i knew i was feeling some sapphic vibes from you. I guess that's why you were never on the bottom of the pyramid." The blonde flushed hotly and shoved her friend. An evil glint appeared in her dark eyes as if it all clicked into place. "You wanted berry juice." She made a slurping noise. "Maybe that's why you were really upset that she gave her panties to Jewfro."

"I'm going to kindly ask you to stop." It was inappropriate for them to be discussing Rachel like that, and secondly she didn't need the visuals.

Santana smirked devilishly. "All I'm saying is that I know your game now Fabray. Everything concerning you makes more sense, you had gay panic. All those glares thrown at Rachel was just sexual frustration. You probably wanted to rip off her clothes and throw her onto the st-" Quinn's hand covered the other's mouth.

She was slightly irritated that Santana could deduce as much, but then again Santana was in the same boat as her. At least she embraced her sexuality long before Quinn did. "Don't talk about her like that. She is a person."

"Annoying above anything else, but I've always wanted to see what is under those ugly sweaters. Girl has a tight little body, and you better get some action before Finncompetent does." If there was anything that still grated her nerves, it was that Rachel went through giving her virginity to Finn even after their girl chat. She truly thought she had deterred Rachel, but it was just a testament to how much Rachel believed Finn to be her soul mate that she gave it up to him.

"Okay Santana I get the point. He was bad. It isn't as if you have a leg to stand on because you slept with Puck multiple times and he was absolutely terrible for someone who has gotten around." The Latina made a face at the reminder. "I like her I do. I don't want to hurt more than I already have. I feel that if I suddenly tried acting in a different manner towards her, she or others might interpret it as me playing some cruel joke on her or something as ridiculous as wanting Finn back." She rolled her eyes in annoyance because it was high school. Teenagers didn't think logically, which was what got their club into so much trouble.

"Fine, and I won't tell anyone. Although you better be careful around Berry. That girl has a lot of surprises." Quinn understood immediately to what she was referring to. Rachel's Britney attire still gave her some vivid fantasies, but it also made the whole school see that it wasn't that Rachel was unattractive. It was quite the contrary. She just happened to be at the bottom of the food chain because of her interests and Quinn's mission to make her a loser.

"I will." They parted ways as their classes were on opposite ends of the building. She now had to figure out how to get through a whole period of AP Language with the object of her affection sitting directly in front of her. All those fantasies were running through her head, and she was definitely feeling a tingly sensation in her lower half. It would be impossible to ignore it after their almost kiss in the locker room.

_I am screwed_. They were leaving for New York the next day.

* * *

**AN- I will try to post more this summer. No guarantees because I have a summer class in a few weeks. It is my goal to finish this story though. Thanks to everyone who is still reading. Thoughts?**


End file.
